Tendencies towards Home Gardening as a Coping Mechanism for Climate Change in Khartoum State: A Pilot Case Study

Abstract

Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, is a densely populated large city with a hot, dry and dusty climate. The summer season is characterised by very high daytime temperatures, low humidity, and large daily temperature fluctuations. Moreover, Khartoum is expected to experience an increase in temperature and a decrease in rainfall due to climate change. Blue-green patios can be a traditional measure of comfort in such a climate, as they maintain the cold air and provide shade in the housing unit.

This paper investigates the current activity and latent tendencies of gardening among simple random sample from Khartoum State. This study uses a qualitative and quantitative methodological approach. A simple random sample of 385 households distributed in 7 localities and 36 administrative units of the study area was surveyed using questionnaires. A literature review of similar studies was also conducted.

The findings revealed that 56.30% of the surveyed households have not planted trees in their housing units, although 67% of them are interested in planting trees. Another finding revealed that concern for offering suitable environment for multiplication of disease vectors especially malaria, size of house and access to water were the major constraints to gardening among the households surveyed.

Keywords: Blue-green patios, climate change, Khartoum State, disease vectors